Lesson 8

Lesson 8: Relative Clauses, Complements, Coordination, and Giving

Combine earlier material into longer clauses with re, ra, brackets, coordinators, and ditransitive order.

Long-form syntax

The language scales up by reusing the same small set of markers. Relative clauses use re inside the clause and ra at the boundary. Complement clauses keep ra but do not use re.

Coordination stays simple with sa for “and” and su for “or”. Ditransitives keep the direct object in the object slot and place the recipient phrase before the final verb.

Brackets remain optional in ordinary prose, but they are strongly recommended when a lesson, prompt, or transcript needs to make the embedded structure explicit.

Worked examples

[ re reta daku-pa ] ra mana = the person who carried the tool
mi [mana taku-pa] ra maku. = I know that the person went.
[mana taku-ka-nu] ra mira koma ne suru. = It is clear at home that the person will not go.
mata sa pata tama maku. = The mother and the father know the child.
mi makubi a na dona-pa. = I gave the book to him/her.

Final synthesis

At this point you can read the core sound system, build clauses, inflect verbs, grow the lexicon productively, ask questions, and combine clauses into short discourse.

Self-check 1

How do you mark the gap inside a relative clause?

Self-check 2

What closes both relative and complement clauses?

Self-check 3

What is the basic order of a ditransitive clause?

Self-check 4

Translate: I gave the book to him/her.

Self-check 5

When are brackets especially helpful?